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Hidden History
The First Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker The first backpacker to thru-hike the entire 2100-mile Appalachian Trail in one trip was a troubled...
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The first backpacker to thru-hike the entire 2100-mile Appalachian Trail in one trip was a troubled WW2 veteran who did it as a kind of therapy. For most of human history, people got around from one place to another by walking. Although Rome pioneered an extensive network of...
TheCollector
The Role of Swing States in US Presidential Elections Although the term “swing state” was not used in early American history, the seeds of modern...
6 months ago
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6 months ago
Although the term “swing state” was not used in early American history, the seeds of modern electoral competition, where even the smallest of states could decide the outcome of a national election, were soon sown across the national timeline. It would not be long before states...
CrimethInc.
Then They Came for the Palestinians : How to Respond to the Kidnapping of Mahmoud Khalil On March 8, Department of Homeland Security agents kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian organizer...
6 months ago
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6 months ago
On March 8, Department of Homeland Security agents kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian organizer and graduate student at Columbia University who had permanent residency in the United States. Donald Trump’s State Department arbitrarily revoked his residency. They are holding...
TheCollector
Who Is Mary in Islam? Mary’s status in Christianity as the most divinely-favored woman in history is without dispute....
6 months ago
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Mary’s status in Christianity as the most divinely-favored woman in history is without dispute. While Protestants afford her a lower status than do Catholic and Orthodox Christians, she is still honored by Christians of all stripes as the mother and sole biological parent of...
Open Culture
When Charlie Chaplin First Spoke Onscreen: How His Famous Great Dictator Speech Came About Charlie Chaplin came up in vaudeville, but it was silent film that made him the most famous man in...
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Charlie Chaplin came up in vaudeville, but it was silent film that made him the most famous man in the world. His mastery of that form primed him to feel a degree of skepticism about sound when it came along: in 1931, he called the silent picture “a universal means of...
Wrong Side of...
The seed of Elon Khan Ultra-prolific men are not like the rest of us
6 months ago
Flashbak
Strangely Familiar: Peter Mitchell Paints The Everyday In Colour Film “I had always believed a photograph could be as powerful as a painting.” – Peter Mitchell     Peter...
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“I had always believed a photograph could be as powerful as a painting.” – Peter Mitchell     Peter Mitchell allows us to imagine the stories between his  colour photographer of 1970s and 80s England, particularly the northern city of Leeds he calls home. A self-described “man of...
TheCollector
The Roman Consuls: The Foundation of Political Power in Ancient Rome After the kings were expelled from Rome and before the Julio-Claudians established the first...
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After the kings were expelled from Rome and before the Julio-Claudians established the first imperial dynasty, the consuls were the most powerful men in Rome. This political position was designed to fill the power vacuum left by the Roman kings but in a more egalitarian manner,...
Open Culture
How the Moving Image Has Become the Medium of Record: Part 1 Image via Wikimedia Commons How did we get to the point where we’ve come to believe so many lies...
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Image via Wikimedia Commons How did we get to the point where we’ve come to believe so many lies that 77 million Americans voted into the White House a criminal reality TV star from NBC, one groomed by a reality TV producer from CBS, who then appointed his Cabinet from Fox and X...
TheCollector
All the Governments in Exile in WWII (and Where They Went) The term “government in exile” describes political parties that claim themselves as the legitimate...
6 months ago
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The term “government in exile” describes political parties that claim themselves as the legitimate government of an independent, sovereign state but cannot carry out their duties due to instability, conflict, or foreign occupation. The local government is compelled to move to a...
Overcoming Bias
Romantic Decay As Cultural Drift For the last year or so I’ve focused on the idea that our world’s dominant monoculture is slowly...
6 months ago
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For the last year or so I’ve focused on the idea that our world’s dominant monoculture is slowly going maladaptive, due to cultural drift.
Classical Wisdom
ALL HAIL CAESAR??? Should We Glorify Caesar? And Those Like Him?
6 months ago
Flashbak
Why The BBC Wanted To Keep George Orwell Off The Radio “I am quite seriously worried about the situation and about the wisdom of our keeping Orwell...
6 months ago
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“I am quite seriously worried about the situation and about the wisdom of our keeping Orwell personally on the air.” – the BBC controller outlines his reasons for keeping George Orwell off the air     In his his lifetime, George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was thought...
Open Culture
Watch “The Birth of the Robot,” Len Lye’s Surreal 1935 Stop-Motion Animation Robots seem to have been much on the public mind back in the nineteen-thirties. Matt Novak at...
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Robots seem to have been much on the public mind back in the nineteen-thirties. Matt Novak at Paleofuture gives the example of a moment in 1932 when “the world was awash in newspaper stories about a robot that had done the unthinkable: a mechanical man had shot its inventor.”...
TheCollector
Venus Cloacina: Meet the Roman Sewer Goddess Over the course of their history, the Romans built a complex and dense network of sewers in the city...
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Over the course of their history, the Romans built a complex and dense network of sewers in the city of Rome. However, only one of them was held in the highest regard. It was the oldest sewer in the city, and it was called Cloaca Maxima (“The Greatest Sewer”). In the beginning,...
African History...
A complete history of Mogadishu (ca. 1100-1892) Journal of African cities: chapter 16.
6 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Beginnings, Endings, and Education
6 months ago
TheCollector
The Expulsion of Polish Jews From Nazi Germany: Polenaktion Explained In the early hours of October 28, 1938, Berlin resident Mendel Max Karp was still sleeping when...
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In the early hours of October 28, 1938, Berlin resident Mendel Max Karp was still sleeping when police officers burst into his apartment to order him to leave the territory of the German Reich. He was then arrested and deported to the German-Polish border on a special train. Mr....
Wrong Side of...
The Great Madman Theory of History vindicated Has Nigel Farage just ended his chance of victory?
6 months ago
TheCollector
10 Must-See Ancient Monuments Around the World Ancient times refer to the period spanning from the early development of human civilizations to the...
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Ancient times refer to the period spanning from the early development of human civilizations to the end of classical antiquity, roughly 3000 BCE to 500 CE. This era saw the rise of powerful empires, complex societies, and remarkable advancements in art, architecture, and...
weird medieval guys
My favourite etymologies: clue A word for worms, string, romance, and advice
6 months ago
TheCollector
Who Were the Aboriginal Leaders of the Frontier Wars? 4 Key Figures Most of what we know about the people involved in the Australian Frontier Wars, and the massacres...
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Most of what we know about the people involved in the Australian Frontier Wars, and the massacres that unfolded, comes from the journals of those who were involved in them; that is, European settlers, pastoralists, and government officials. They also come (especially with regard...
Flashbak
Honoré Daumier, Portraits des Célébrités du Juste-Milieu At the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, you can see these sculptured portraits of celebrities by French artist...
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At the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, you can see these sculptured portraits of celebrities by French artist Honoré Daumier (February 26, 1808 – February 10 or 11, 1879). Created between 1832 and 1835, Les Célébrités du Juste-Milieu (The Celebrities of the Golden Mean) terracotta look...
TheCollector
Sejanus: The Praetorian Prefect With Imperial Ambitions Tiberius Caesar had the unenviable task of succeeding his stepfather Augustus. He would always be a...
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Tiberius Caesar had the unenviable task of succeeding his stepfather Augustus. He would always be a pale shadow of the charismatic founder of the Roman Empire. Tiberius’s time in power was also scarred by the influence of Sejanus, the prefect of the emperor’s Praetorian Guard....
Dreams of Space -...
Rockets and Space Coloring Book (1960) Some nice space pictures (to color) for you today.  Coloring books may be one of the ultimate forms...
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Some nice space pictures (to color) for you today.  Coloring books may be one of the ultimate forms of ephemera. There were meant to be used, admired? and then thrown away. Yet many children owned them and there were at least 40 issued between 1950 and 1970 on space themes. If...
TheCollector
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: How Russia Left World War I In both World Wars, people assume the Allied Powers had a crushing advantage and would have...
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In both World Wars, people assume the Allied Powers had a crushing advantage and would have inevitably won the conflicts. World War I, however, was almost a victory for Germany. Far from the American focus on the Atlantic Ocean, Germany had also been fighting Russia, which was an...
Flashbak
René Magritte’s Art Deco Posters and Music Covers Belgian painter René Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) is best known for his Surrealist...
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Belgian painter René Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) is best known for his Surrealist art. But before he relocated from Brussels to Paris in 1927 and began hanging out with André Breton (19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) and other Surrealists, Magritte worked as...
TheCollector
Still-Life: 8 Facts About the Most Underrated Genre Still-life painting is one of the oldest genres in history, yet it is often dismissed as too simple...
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Still-life painting is one of the oldest genres in history, yet it is often dismissed as too simple and not serious enough to be considered “high” art. Still, this genre has a long history spanning from antiquity. Still-life painting has evolved with human society, adapting to...
Classical Wisdom
Ancients After Alexander The Hellenistic Age
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TheCollector
4 Must-Read Works by Søren Kierkegaard, Father of Existentialism Søren Kierkegaard is largely considered to be the father of existentialism. He wrote extensively...
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Søren Kierkegaard is largely considered to be the father of existentialism. He wrote extensively about subjects such as the human condition, despair, anxiety about existence, and how to achieve an authentic and actualized Self. Kierkegaard never shied away from the messy parts of...
Open Culture
A Tour of the Final Home Designed By Frank Lloyd Wright: The Circular Sun House Some remember the nineteen-nineties in America as the second coming of the nineteen-fifties....
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Some remember the nineteen-nineties in America as the second coming of the nineteen-fifties. Whatever holes one can poke in that historical framing, it does feel strangely plausible inside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Circular Sun House. Though not actually built until 1967, it was...
TheCollector
8 Locations in Greece Related to the Odyssey Homer’s The Odyssey has been a cornerstone of Western literature for millennia, chronicling the epic...
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Homer’s The Odyssey has been a cornerstone of Western literature for millennia, chronicling the epic journey of King Odysseus as he strives to return home after the Trojan War. This timeless narrative has inspired countless adaptations, with the latest being Christopher Nolan’s...
Open Culture
Get 40% Off 3 Months of Coursera Plus & Access Unlimited Courses – Offer Ends March 9 Now through March 9, 2025, Coursera is offering 40% off a three-month subscription to Coursera Plus....
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Now through March 9, 2025, Coursera is offering 40% off a three-month subscription to Coursera Plus. This plan provides access to 7,000+ courses for one all-inclusive price, including programs from 350 universities (e.g., Duke and the University of Michigan) and companies like...
Wrong Side of...
The Lives of the Othered Are some people worth less?
6 months ago
TheCollector
Baroque Music: Contrast and Drama The Baroque Era’s genesis lay in Italy, established during the Council of Trent between 1545 and...
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The Baroque Era’s genesis lay in Italy, established during the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1653. The Council’s mission was simple: How could they inspire people to follow the Catholic faith and come back to the Church’s fold? Where the Protestants opted for simplicity, the...
A Collection of...
Collections: What Do Historians Do? For this week, I want to take a step back (we’ll be back to our series on Rings of Power next week!)...
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For this week, I want to take a step back (we’ll be back to our series on Rings of Power next week!) and talk about the craft of history: we’ve talked about “How Your History Gets Made” from the perspective of the different people who do it – research historians, public...
TheCollector
Was the Spanish Inquisition Really That Harsh? (Truths & Myths) When most people think of the Spanish Inquisition, they picture horrific scenes of torture and...
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When most people think of the Spanish Inquisition, they picture horrific scenes of torture and cruelty, thousands of people burning at the stake, and a tyrannical religious regime with too much power. What led to these misconceptions and propaganda surrounding the Inquisition,...
Flashbak
23 Before And After Vintage Snapshots “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” — Mark Twain    ...
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“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” — Mark Twain     Take a moment to look at the photo above. We don’t know Maureen. She’s the subject of a pair of ‘BEFORE’ and AFTER’ polaroids from Robert E Jackson’s astounding archive of snapshots....
TheCollector
History of Christian Missionaries: From Apostles to Modern Day Christians believe Jesus Christ came to Earth with a divine message. After the Ascension, the...
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Christians believe Jesus Christ came to Earth with a divine message. After the Ascension, the followers of Jesus took the baton from him and picked up the task of spreading that same message. These messengers were called missionaries. This post will investigate Christian...
Open Culture
The Classic 1972 Concert Film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii Gets Restored & Will Soon Hit IMAX... Today, when we watch genre-defining concert films like Monterey Pop, Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, or...
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Today, when we watch genre-defining concert films like Monterey Pop, Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, or Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, we look upon the audience with nearly as much interest as we do the performers. But Pink Floyd never did things in quite the same way as...
TheCollector
10 Charming Historic Towns in Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was founded in 843 AD when Kenneth MacAlpin unified the Picts and Scots,...
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The Kingdom of Scotland was founded in 843 AD when Kenneth MacAlpin unified the Picts and Scots, though its story stretches back much further—to the ancient standing stones of Orkney, the Roman frontier of the Antonine Wall, and the shadowy reigns of the early Celtic kings....
Overcoming Bias
Futarchy As Meta Governance While anyone can buy stock in public firms, private equity firms are instead held by a more...
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While anyone can buy stock in public firms, private equity firms are instead held by a more concentrated and exclusive set of owners.
Res Obscura
AI legibility, physical archives, and the future of research A followup to "The leading AI models are now good historians"
6 months ago
TheCollector
What Is the Story of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle? The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important artifacts of English history. As a text, it...
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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important artifacts of English history. As a text, it is a remarkable record of events that helps shine a light onto the so-called “Dark Ages.” However, the Chronicle is more than just a record. In many ways, it is more than a mere...
Classical Wisdom
Roman Britain: Origin or Decline? What can we learn from Transition?
6 months ago
TheCollector
What Is the Epistle of Jude About? Though the Epistle of Jude addresses much of the same content that the other epistles do, how the...
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Though the Epistle of Jude addresses much of the same content that the other epistles do, how the author does it is different. He quotes from the Book of Enoch and refers to Sodom and Gomorrah, the epic tale of destruction in the Old Testament. His use of this source material is...
Flashbak
Mystery, God And The Wonder of Death: Cristoforo de Predis’ Illuminated Visions “He commanded and they were created.” – Psalm 33     Cristoforo de Predis (1440-1486) painted his...
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“He commanded and they were created.” – Psalm 33     Cristoforo de Predis (1440-1486) painted his visions of the final judgement in the late 15th Century. We see fish above the sea, the sun and moon dying, blood dripping from trees and winged demons dropping naked, fragile...
TheCollector
What Are the Top 5 World Heritage Sites in the Philippines? The Philippines is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. Connecting 7640 islands, it...
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The Philippines is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. Connecting 7640 islands, it is a canvas where nature has painted some of its most magnificent wonders. With a history spanning hundreds of years, the country attracts tourists from all over the world for its...
Open Culture
How Stephen King Foretold the Rise of Trump in a 1979 Novel Nobody opens a Stephen King novel expecting to see a reflection of the real world. Then again, as...
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Nobody opens a Stephen King novel expecting to see a reflection of the real world. Then again, as those who get hooked on his books can attest, never is his work ever wholly detached from reality. Time and time again, he delivers lurid visions of the macabre, grotesque, and...
Wrong Side of...
Bumping up against solid reality Pourquoi mourir pour Donetsk? Britain's young might well wonder
6 months ago